Rider-Waite for Dummies
by harinezumiko
Summary: Ryou invites Yugi over to see his "other occult deck". Yugi is keen to develop their friendship - but he seems to have some small, furry competition...


Yugi had been standing outside Ryou's door for an age. There was no need to be this nervous. He was just visiting a friend, there was nothing unusual in that. He'd been to Ryou's place loads of times. But this was the first time he'd come alone, and he was still getting used to being alone.

He unclenched his hands and let out a long-held breath. The voice of confidence in his head would have to be his own, now. "Go for it, me," he whispered, and pressed the door buzzer before he could change his mind.

The door opened far too quickly for Ryou to have been standing anywhere other than directly behind it. He greeted Yugi with an ingenuous smile. "Yugi! I'm glad you could come. Please, come inside."

"Thank you for the invitation," said Yugi as he slipped off his shoes. Ryou's hair looked particularly soft today, and he looked awkwardly around the entryway to avoid staring. "It's been a while since I've duelled just for fun. I'm really looking forward to seeing what you've put together."

Ryou stopped on his way back into the living area. "Oh, you thought I meant Duel Monsters?" He rubbed the back of his head apologetically.

"You asked if I'd like to see your 'other occult deck'…" said Yugi, trying not to act too disappointed.

"Yes, this," said Ryou, indicating a table spread with a plush purple velvet cloth and a number of oversized, simply coloured cards. "Tarot. You said you were having trouble lately, and I find it helps me to think through a situation, so I thought I could give you a reading?"

"Tarot," repeated Yugi. "What's that?"

"It's easier to show you," said Ryou. He pulled the curtains in the room to, and threw a cloth over the lamp to dim its light. "Would you like a drink, before we get started?"

"No thank you, I'm fine," said Yugi, taking the offered seat with his head swimming. A drink sounded like a great idea, his mouth was gumming up already, but he didn't want to be a bother.

"Well, I'll make some tea, and then if you decide you want some, there'll be plenty." Ryou busied himself in the kitchen and Yugi looked around the now dimly-lit room. The space seemed bigger with the tabletop gaming board and scenery now pushed up against the walls. The bookshelves had succumbed to overloading some time ago and listed resignedly to one side, held up by more stacks of itinerant books awaiting a more permanent home. A cage sat on a shelf at the other side of the room, housing a small white creature staring balefully at Yugi.

"I didn't know you had a rabbit," called Yugi to the kitchen.

"Oh, that's Bakura," said Ryou brightly. "He was misbehaving, so I've confined him for now."

"Bakura?" said Yugi, looking again at the bunny. It twitched its nose and turned to face the wall.

Ryou returned with a tray which he set down on the edge of the table, the china cups clinking. "I missed having someone around, you know?"

"Yeah," said Yugi, his hand reaching reflexively to clutch the puzzle that was no longer there. He laughed nervously, trying to convey a lightness of heart he wasn't feeling. "You didn't have to kill a hundred people to get him, did you?"

"Oh, Yugi," Ryou sat down opposite with his head cupped in one hand and the smile of a child on hallowe'en. "This is the era of the internet, you don't have to _kill_ people to sacrifice their souls."

The rabbit nudged his cage, making the bars rattle, and Yugi jumped.

Ryou laughed. "Don't let him scare you. He's just being a bit territorial today."

"Right," said Yugi. He wasn't entirely convinced that Ryou wasn't meddling with forces he shouldn't, but he'd come here wanting to get closer to Ryou, and it would be easier to imagine that happening if that really was a harmless little bunny rabbit. He dragged his attention back to the cards in front of him. "So how does this work?"

"Well," Ryou spread out the cards in front of him, "first we pick a card to represent you. There's some default options, but I find it helps if you pick the one you're drawn to."

"Then," Yugi pushed the cards around with an index finger and deliberated. "This one?"

"The Magician?" Ryou picked it up.

The card was decorated in sunny yellow, surrounded by flowers, and a young man raised what looked like a candle to the sky. It seemed warm and optimistic to Yugi. "Yes, is that okay?"

"There's no wrong answers here, don't worry," said Ryou. "I think it's a great fit for you. It signifies great potential, and the strength of will to start out on one's own journey."

Yugi nodded, more from interest than agreement. "What card represents you?"

"It depends what question I'm asking," said Ryou, "which brings us to the next part. You need to ask yourself a specific question, something on which you'd like guidance as to possible outcomes. I'll give you a minute."

Yugi drummed his fingers on his knees. He definitely felt like he needed a lot of guidance lately, and he could no longer turn to the person he had before. There was Anzu, of course, but she was so busy practising, and while Jounouchi could be very supportive a lot of his suggested solutions were more direct than Yugi might like. Whether he could distil everything he was feeling down into one question though was another matter. He looked up at Ryou, his eyes seeming dark brown in the dim light, his gaze inviting and warm despite everything he had been through, his gentle hands deftly shuffling the large cards, and decided to go for something much simpler for now.

"Okay, I'm ready," said Yugi.

"Great!" said Ryou. He set the deck in front of Yugi. "Go ahead and say it."

Yugi felt his cheeks heating up, and his heart catching in his throat. "Do I have to?"

"I guess not," Ryou demurred. "It would help me with the reading, but… go ahead and think it really loudly, and the cards will hear. If you could shuffle and cut the deck three times please, and use your left hand to cut."

Yugi did as requested while Ryou poured the tea. The familiar rhythm calmed his nerves. "What next?"

"I'll be your guide." Ryou took the deck from Yugi, his fingers brushing briefly over Yugi's own. He slipped the first card from the deck and placed it over The Magician in the centre of the table. "We'll use the Celtic Cross spread, since I don't know what you're asking – it's pretty versatile."

Yugi reached gratefully for a sip of tea and looked at the card Ryou had drawn. It looked like a lot of twigs. "What does that one mean?"

"So, this card represents how you're feeling right now about the question you asked. The eight of wands – that might mean you're in a hurry to do something, or you have a great hope that something might happen, how does that sound to you?"

Yugi chewed on his lip. He didn't feel like he was in a hurry, but he had come here with hopes of setting a certain something in motion, he supposed. "Hopeful, yes."

"It can also mean the arrows of love," said Ryou, leaning closer across the table. "Are you perhaps pining for something?"

"Isn't everyone?" Yugi smiled awkwardly. He held the teacup in both hands and stared into its depths.

"I can read tea-leaves too, if you'd prefer," said Ryou.

"No! I'd like you to continue," said Yugi.

"Really?" Ryou smiled happily. "I wasn't sure you'd be into this, it can get a bit personal. Just shout if you want to stop, okay?"

"Okay," said Yugi with a grateful nod.

Ryou drew another card and placed it across the others, at a right angle. "This card represents what's holding you back, or the obstacle you need to overcome. The four of pentacles means you're holding on to something which you should let go, or you're tied to something that's been left to you, something like that."

"Holding on to something," said Yugi. "That makes sense."

"Something that is, or was, close to you?"

"I think you can guess," said Yugi, with a glance at the rabbit cage. Bakura was nibbling at something in his food bowl.

Ryou chewed his lip thoughtfully. "So, you want to move on in some way, and you're keen to do so, but it feels like you'd be betraying Atem."

"That's about the shape of it," said Yugi. "Is this thing supposed to be worryingly accurate?"

"Like I said, it's about organising your thoughts and helping you to move forward," said Ryou. "The interpretation is down to you. If you feel it's accurate, you're doing great."

Yugi set his tea down and drew another card. "Where does this one go?"

"Just above it, here," Ryou guided Yugi's hand. "This is what you're aiming for, your ideal outcome."

"That can't be good," said Yugi, looking at the design. A man lay dead on a beach, a red cloth covered him from the waist down, and ten swords impaled him down the length of his spine.

"Don't take it too literally," said Ryou. "In this case, it might mean that you still feel pain and loss, but look – the water in front of him is calm and he's looking towards the rising sun. Better times are ahead if you can come to terms with your grief."

"So what I need to give up isn't my memories of Atem," said Yugi, "or… my feelings for him. It's my guilt at feeling anything other than grief?" He stumbled over the words, trying to express himself without falling apart. It was difficult. The wound still felt fresh.

"Perhaps, if that's the meaning you want to ascribe to it," said Ryou. He laid a hand over Yugi's and spoke quietly. "Are you sure you want to continue?"

"I'm sure." Yugi blinked back tears and smiled. He reached for his tea again, letting Ryou's hand drop to the side. "What's next?"

Ryou pulled another card and set it beneath the others. "This card represents progress you've already made, or the beliefs you're coming into this situation with."

"It's upside down," Yugi noted.

Ryou picked it up for Yugi to see, right side up. "It's another card of loss," he said. "See, he's looking at the three spilt cups, but there are two still behind him. Reversed, like you had, it might show alliances, or those left behind."

"Friends I can rely on," said Yugi.

"Sure," said Ryou. "As you are, right now, you can bank on us supporting whatever you do. Or it could even mean, deep within yourself, you know you have the strength to move on, or pursue something new."

"I think I want to," said Yugi in a near-whisper.

"I know it's hard," Ryou took a drink of his own tea now it had cooled. "But that's a really good sign."

"You think so?" Yugi reached for the next card.

"Absolutely. This one goes here." Ryou pointed to Yugi's left of the starting card. "So this is the immediate past, or something that has influenced you until recently."

"Strength," read Yugi. The picture didn't look like he would expect from that name. A woman in a flower crown and flowing white robe seemed to be petting a lion.

"One of the major arcana," said Ryou. "This is something which was a significant life event for you: a victory, or an act of great courage, or compassion. It might have led to the obstacle you face now."

"Yeah I think we can move right along from that one," said Yugi with a small laugh.

"As you wish," said Ryou. He took another card and set it on the other side, forming a cross. His movements were small and deliberate, bird-like. Yugi found it fascinating to watch.

"If the last one was the past, and this is on the other side… then it's the future, right?"

"That's right," said Ryou with a satisfied smile. "The knight of cups. An invitation, or a heartfelt message. Perhaps a proposition you might receive."

"A proposition?" Yugi felt his cheeks warming once more, and hoped the room's dim lighting would obscure it.

"Does that relate to your query in some way?" Ryou tilted his head to one side. His hair fell softly over one shoulder.

"Umm… Too soon to say," said Yugi, lifting his hands, palms out defensively.

"It could also represent a particular person," said Ryou, doubtfully.

"A shining knight on a white steed, offering a drink?"

"There is plenty more tea, if you would like," said Ryou with a grin.

"Why does he have fish on his armour?" asked Yugi, by way of diversion.

"It's a symbol, for life and creativity."

"So maybe it just means I need to find something to live for."

"It could," said Ryou dubiously.

"You said there were no wrong answers," said Yugi, sternly.

"That's true," said Ryou. "Does that interpretation fit your question? More than the others?"

Yugi sighed. "It's difficult to say, if this is the future, isn't it?"

"Okay, we'll come back to that one at the end," said Ryou.

"It's not over then?" Yugi asked. The cross design seemed complete to his eyes.

"We're about half way through," said Ryou. "Do you want to take a break? We could see if Bakura will let you pet him?"

The rabbit was staring at Yugi again. It made him uncomfortable and he shifted his chair slightly to try to remove the creature from his peripheral vision. "I don't think he likes me. Let's carry on."

"Okay. The next card," Ryou drew and set it on Yugi's right, "represents how you're feeling about yourself right now in the context of your query, and a possible course you might take. And this one, this is really interesting given what's come before it." His eyes gleamed as he leaned forward, animatedly discussing the implications. "Some say the Queen of Swords represents things like widowhood, and mourning, which fits with what we've talked about so far. But a more modern interpretation might be that she's giving or receiving judgement from that chair – she's about seeking the truth of a matter, or having the ability to choose the correct path when all is changing around you. So I wonder – perhaps this means that you can have faith that the decision you're making is the right one?"

Ryou's enthusiasm brought a smile to Yugi's face. "I haven't made a decision yet," he said, but saying it felt like a lie.

A tinny crash came from the side of the room. Both their heads whipped around to see Bakura's cage lying open on the floor, and the rabbit hopping gleefully away. Ryou jumped from his seat and flitted around the room, chasing the escaped convict. The rabbit made a beeline under the table. Yugi pushed his chair back and stood to give Ryou room. Bakura bounded towards Yugi's feet, took a brief glance upwards, and then sank his teeth deliberately into Yugi's ankle. Ryou caught Bakura immediately afterwards and held him, the rabbit's back legs thumping away impotently. "Yugi, I'm so sorry! Did he hurt you?"

"I think he got mostly sock," said Yugi, rolling it down to check. There was no blood, thankfully.

"Let me just shut him in my room, and I'll get an antiseptic wipe." Ryou manhandled the errant rabbit through the door.

"There's no need, I'm fine, really," Yugi called. "Is he always like this?"

"He's just having a bad day," said Ryou from the bedroom. "I'll have to change out his food and bedding, maybe he's allergic to something." He returned, closing the door behind him, and started to unwrap a small foil package. He knelt at Yugi's feet and Yugi stared red-faced at the ceiling. "Where did he get you?"

Yugi sat back on the chair and crossed his legs to point at the spot, finding it preferable to bending over. "It's fine, honestly."

"Let me take care of it," said Ryou softly. The wipe was cold, but not uncomfortably so, and it didn't sting. Yugi thought he'd been right that Bakura hadn't broken his skin. Ryou lifted Yugi's trouser leg and he almost yelped. Ryou pressed gently around the area with cool fingers. "Any pain?"

"None at all." The words tumbled too fast from Yugi's lips. "Thank you."

"Not a problem." Ryou straightened up and cast a glance back to the bedroom door. "I hope he's not shredding my sheets."

"You didn't think about getting a goldfish?" Yugi said.

"They're harder to cuddle," said Ryou.

"Really?" Yugi laughed, and Ryou joined in. Yugi sat back at the table before he could suggest Ryou hug him instead. "Can we continue?"

"Of course! We're on the home stretch now." Ryou leaned over Yugi's shoulder to draw the next card and set it above the last. "This is external events that might have an impact, though you can't control them."

Yugi watched Ryou's brow fall under his bangs. "What's wrong?"

"It's fine, don't worry." Ryou took his seat. "The five of wands does represent conflict, but not a severe one. Maybe you'll face some competition. Did you ask about whether you should continue duelling, maybe?"

"No, that wasn't it," said Yugi. Of course he was planning to continue duelling, though he didn't seek the public profile of someone like Kaiba or Pegasus. Competition… he had already fought Ryou's rabbit for his attention today, and apparently won for now, but he had yet to face down Ryou's fanclub of eager schoolgirls.

"Hmmm." Ryou chewed his lip in thought. "Anyway, it's the sort of trouble that'll blow over quickly, or succumb to infighting, so I don't think you need to worry about it."

"That's good," said Yugi. He wasn't sure how to defeat the fanclub – did they even duel? – but it sounded like he might not have to. He reached for the next card at the same time as Ryou, and apologised, snatching his hand away just as they touched. "The Lovers?" he read as Ryou set it down above the others. His cheeks pinkened and he avoided Ryou's eyes, choosing to study the card intently, which was also a bad idea given the two naked forms on it. He settled on staring at a sot beyond Ryou's left shoulder.

"It doesn't necessarily mean what you think," said Ryou, waving his hands casually. "Another aspect of it would be choice, or union. You know, it would really help me to interpret the meaning if I knew your question."

Yugi shook his head vehemently. "Not yet."

Ryou sighed. "Ok, then, stop me when something sounds right. This card is about your hopes and fears in the situation. Given what we've seen so far, this might mean that when you face that proposition, you should go with your heart. It might mean that you can accept both your feelings for Atem and your need to move on, to unify your own soul. It might mean that it's okay to start making choices for yourself. Or it might mean you need to talk to someone you have a genuine bond with. Finally, yes, it might just mean that you want to find a meaningful romance…" Ryou leaned to one side, edging into Yugi's direct line of sight. "You didn't stop me, does none of that fit?"

"How about all of the above?" said Yugi with an embarrassed grin.

"I suppose that's a good sign," said Ryou thoughtfully, "though it doesn't help me narrow down your advice."

"I'm sorry," said Yugi.

"It's ok," said Ryou, indicating to Yugi to reach for another card. "This is the last one, and it's the ultimate outcome, what will happen if you manage to overcome your difficulties and follow your heart. Really focus on the question when you draw this one."

Yugi placed his hand on the deck and thought hard, putting all his feelings into it as he would when duelling. He couldn't help a glance at Ryou as he did so. It was something of a let-down when the card he drew showed a picture of a jaunty young man in brightly coloured clothes, seemingly about to either drink a blue fish or encourage it to leap into his hat. "What does that mean?"

"What do you think?" Ryou cocked his head to one side. "How would you read that image?"

Yugi looked again at the card. "So there's a lot of water there, with him standing on a beach, and the fish, and his hat and scarf look like a flowing river."

Ryou nodded. "Water means creativity, or emotions."

"He doesn't seem surprised by the fish, he's looking at it quite calmly." Yugi squinted at Ryou. "So maybe something about being open to new ideas?"

"Oh, very good!" Ryou clapped and smiled, and Yugi smiled back, feeling proud to have pleased his friend. "Yes, one meaning is that you should explore new opportunities and feelings."

"Is another that I should seek out a young man with a strange pet?" said Yugi, emboldened.

Ryou cupped his chin, smiling cutely. "He may be bearing a welcome message."

"Such as?" Yugi felt his heartbeat speeding up as he leaned closer over the table. He was going to do it, fangirl furore and demonic rabbits be damned.

"Will you tell me what your question was?" Ryou leaned in likewise. Yugi could smell the tang of tea on him.

"It might have been something like… should I ask Ryou if he wants to go out with me." There, it was out, and Yugi's heart hammered at his ribs.

Ryou laughed, tension creeping away from his shoulders. "I daresay if you did, he might say yes."

"It's in the cards," said Yugi, reaching for Ryou's hand to lace his fingers with Yugi's own.

"It's in the cards," agreed Ryou, closing his eyes as he leaned just enough closer.

* * *

For spookycutie, as part of the Yu-Gi-Art! Discord Easter Exchange. When I saw that username I knew exactly what I wanted to write. I hope you like it!

Fun fact: I did this reading for them and when I drew the ten of swords I thought wow, this isn't going the way I wanted, so I drew again for confirmation... The Tower. ^^; So it became pretty clear how Yugi was feeling! I'm looking forward to hearing theories about the rabbit!

As this is a giftfic, criticism is not requested at this time.


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